RML Group heritage to be celebrated in North America

RML Group founder Ray Mallock will be taking part in Formula Junior in North America. The five-event race series will celebrate RML’s championship winning racing heritage.

Mallock is set to compete on some of America’s finest road courses in the U2 Mk2 chassis 2 that was one of the early Mallock designs by his father. “I’ll be racing the car in which Arthur had his last ever race at Monterey in 1990 and it’s at Monterey that I start this five-event tour” Mallock commented.

In the late 1950’s Arthur Mallock’s concept was to make motorsport accessible and affordable to engineering and racing enthusiasts. He designed a stiff and lightweight spaceframe chassis to which a low cost production car running gear and powertrain was added. His engineering passion and background ensured that the key performance principles of light weight chassis, suspension geometry and aerodynamics were prioritised over aesthetics. Leading pioneers such as Patrick Head, Max Mosley and Harvey Postlethwaite embraced these principles and saw the Mallock U2 as an affordable entry into motorsport. The first customer chassis was sold in 1958.

Since Arthur Mallock’s first competition car built in 1939 the Mallock family have continued throughout the 78 years to design, build and race under the Mallock brand. Mallock’s two sons Richard and Ray as well as grandson Michael have all won UK championships with Mallock cars.

Mallock Sports which was initially founded by Arthur Mallock is now run by Richard, making it one of the longest standing race car manufacturers still in operation. With the first commercial chassis sales trading in 1958, next year will mark the Mallock business’ diamond jubilee.

Ray independently founded RML in 1984 and is now company Chairman after handing over to the role of Chief Executive to Michael in 2016. Michael continues the Mallock racing heritage and after a successful career in sports and GT still competes in the Mallock U2 Formula Ford Mark 9 and Aston Martin Project 214, which he will be out in at this year’s Silverstone Classic commencing on 29th July.

U2-2 was built by Arthur’s Army colleague, Captain John Harwood in 1960 at the Mallock family home in Roade, Northamptonshire when Ray was just nine-years-old. It was campaigned successfully by Harwood throughout Europe in the early 1960’s, taking an extraordinary victory in the wet at the Nurburgring in October 1960.

In 2011, Ray Mallock oversaw its restoration to original 1960 specification including the short nose cone used by Harwood in 1960. Ray and the car finished third in the Monaco Historique Grand Prix in 2016.

RML Group will keep you up dated here with the latest of Michael and Ray’s results in their respective race series.